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Chapter 29
Jet
Jet hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Abby all night long. She was radiant. Her cheeks were flushed, giving an air of youth and energy that made him feel younger and more vibrant himself.
At first, when they’d stepped into the house, he’d thought that the rosy red apple color must’ve been on her face because of the cold. But as the night wore on, it never faded, and he realized that she wore the flush because of happiness. He loved that.
He also, deservedly or not, felt proud that she was so excited to be there. It was like he’d given her some expensive, hard-earned gift. But that wasn’t true. She was the one who’d given him a gift with her presence there.
Hell, she was the one giving him a gift every minute they were together, if he were honest.
He didn’t know how he would’ve gotten through this without her. She’d been his lifeline and his touchstone, showing him what a good life could look like.
She’d also given him another precious gift: a glimpse of what a life after the band might be for him. That was priceless. He’d never be able to fully explain to her what that meant to him, or thank her for giving it, he knew.
He’d just have to spend the rest of his life trying.
Damn, Valentine. Are these holiday lights turning you into a sentimental fool or what?
He shook his head to clear it and raised his voice to address the whole room. “All right. Who’s ready to start exchanging some presents?”
Mila’s hand shot into the air and, across the room, so did Grandmother Valentine’s. He laughed. “Well, that’s close enough to unanimous. Let’s get this going.”
Everyone moved toward the living room. There was Mila and Grandmother Valentine, all three of his brothers, and the little group that he’d started thinking of as “The Girls.” Capital T, capital G. Abby, Ella, and Genevieve.
Not a bad group of people to call his friends and family, he reflected with a warm glow in his chest. Not bad at all.
After everyone had taken their seats, he grabbed the basket that everyone had deposited their gifts into when they’d first come in and carried it to the center of the room. He set it on the coffee table and said, “All right. I’m going to go over the rules of Yankee Swap for anyone not familiar with them. Or anyone with a history of cheating.” He stopped and gave Grandmother Valentine a significant look.
She raised her eyebrows, staring right back at him. There wasn’t a hint of shame or embarrassment. “I play by my own rules, son. That’s not cheating. That’s just smart.”
The room erupted with laughter, but it was clear from the unaffected look on Grandmother Valentine’s face that she hadn’t been joking.
“All right, fine. Well, here are the standard rules. I have a hat full of slips of paper with numbers on them. Everyone draws a number. Whoever draws number one chooses a gift and unwraps it. The person who draws number two can then either choose a new gift or steal the gift the first person opened. The person without a gift can then open a new one or, during later turns, steal a gift from someone else. A gift can only be stolen once per turn. I think that’s it. Let’s go!”
Jet passed the hat around and everyone drew numbers. Abby drew number1, so she was the first person to walk up to the basket and choose a present. She plucked one out and then returned to her seat and unwrapped it.
“Oh, my word!” she exclaimed. “An armband phone holder! Well, wow, that’s super useful. For walks in the woods and things. Thank you so much, whoever had the foresight to bring such a useful gift. It’s awesome!”
Jet had to stifle a smile. He recognized the package as the one she’d walked in with. She was smooth. Knowing her, she would’ve been nervous about the reception the armband would receive when someone opened it. Taking it herself was a clever way to bypass that.
“Okay,” he said. “Who drew number two?”
“That’s me!” Gen said. “And, sorry, Abs. I can tell you really liked it. But I’m stealing the armband. It’ll come in really handy for workouts.”
Abby’s face lit up and she handed it over. “Don’t worry about it! I’m just glad it’s going to a good home.”
Jet watched Abby’s face as the gift exchange continued through everyone’s numbers. She didn’t really seem to care what gift she ended up with. She was more concerned with how people seemed to be enjoying the gift she’d brought.
He slid an arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. That was just like her. In fact, this situation was kind of a great representation of her full personality, he realized. She was far more invested in doing good things for others than she was in what other people could do for her. It was just one of the many things he loved about her.
When all the turns had been taken and everyone had their gifts, he stood up again. Everyone’s eyes turned to him. “Okay. So, I know we said that we were only doing the presents for the gift exchange this year, just to keep things simple, but I went a little rogue.”
“Big surprise,” Gavin deadpanned.
“Oh, ha ha, very funny,” Jet said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.
“I try,” Gavin replied, a nearly imperceptible smirk on his face.
